Immigration officials announced Tuesday that all 24 counties along the Southwest border are now part of a federal program designed to run fingerprint-based immigration history checks on suspects booked into local jails.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement program, dubbed Secure Communities, debuted in Harris County's jails in October 2008. Since then, the program has expanded to 544 jurisdictions and is scheduled to be used across the country by 2013.

Since its launch, the program has helped remove more than 34,600 illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, including more than 9,800 classified as "aggravated felons," ICE officials said.

"The Secure Communities initiative reflects ICE's ongoing commitment to smart, tough enforcement strategies that help ensure the apprehension of dangerous criminal aliens," said John Morton, ICE's assistant secretary. "Expediting removals decreases the amount of time these individuals spend in ICE custody — saving taxpayers money and strengthening public safety."

Though less controversial than ICE's other jail enforcement program, called 287 (g), which trains jailers to act as immigration agents, Secure Communities has prompted concerns by immigrant advocates about deporting people accused of minor crimes and possible racial profiling.

Program challenged

At the Harris County Jail, the program has helped ICE book 9,244 suspects into federal custody through July 31, said Gregory Palmore, an ICE spokesman.

Of those suspects, 2,191 were classified by ICE as "aggravated felons"; 4,953 were convicted of lesser felonies or more serious misdemeanors; 1,155 were convicted only of misdemeanors; and 945 were in the country illegally but had no criminal record.

Of those 9,244 suspects, ICE has so far removed 7,762 from the country.

On Tuesday, several immigrant advocacy organizations and the Immigration Justice Clinic of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law released the results of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit regarding the Secure Communities program. The advocates charged that ICE misled the public about the program, which officials had stated was targeted at the most serious criminal offenders.

Citing ICE documents, the report charged that 79 percent of people deported through Secure Communities "are not criminals or were picked up for lower level offenses."

In response to the report, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued a statement saying that the agency "continues to monitor the program's effectiveness and is committed to identifying and removing serious criminals."